Real CookingCooking, explained

How to Cook · Sauces

Béchamel

Makes about 2 cupsPrep 5 minCook 10 minTotal 15 minSauces
A smooth, finished béchamel sauce

One of the classic French mother sauces: milk whisked into a cooked butter-and-flour roux until smooth and thickened, seasoned simply with salt, pepper, and a little nutmeg. It's the foundation of a whole family of dishes — cheese sauce, mac and cheese, lasagna — and the starting point for learning how a roux gives a sauce its body.

Makes about 2 cups

Keep screen awake.

Ingredients

Sauces

A silky, emulsified beurre monté being whisked Beurre Monté A bowl of vivid orange-red buffalo hot wing sauce Hot Wing Sauce Beurre Blanc A vivid roasted red pepper butter sauce Roasted Red Pepper Sauce A glossy port and red wine vinegar reduction sauce Port Reduction Sauce A creamy black-pepper sauce au poivre Sauce au Poivre A creamy whole-grain mustard sauce Mustard Sauce A dark, glossy red wine sauce bordelaise in a pan Sauce Bordelaise A glossy Marsala and mushroom sauce in a skillet Sauce Marsala A dark, glossy Japanese tare sauce in a bowl Tare A glossy dark teriyaki sauce with sesame seeds Teriyaki Sauce A glossy reddish-brown plum dipping sauce Plum Sauce A thick, glossy barbecue sauce with a brush Barbecue Sauce A smooth, glossy cheddar cheese sauce Cheese Sauce A bright tomato basil sauce with fresh basil Tomato Basil Sauce
Concentrating Flavor

Method

Make the roux

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 1–2 minutes, until the raw flour smell cooks off — this is your roux.

Add the milk

Slowly whisk in the warm milk, a little at a time at first, whisking out any lumps before adding more. Continue cooking, whisking often, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5–7 minutes, then season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.

Whisking flour into melted butter to build a roux
Whisking warm milk into the roux until smooth

Part of Sauces in the How to Cook series.